RNZ: Country Life

The Riverside Community near Nelson is the oldest intentional community in New Zealand. Most of its members work on the property and share their earnings and expenses.

The Western Cape region has been experiencing a three year drought. It could be five years until water levels return to a healthy level.

The Romano family have been growing tomatoes in Nelson since the 1940s. Bettina Romano's father-in-law Tony taught her the tricks of the trade and she now grows and sells an heirloom variety at the Nelson farmers market.

Waikato has been cold, wet and miserable but there have been three good frosts. Ewe scanning is in full swing in Marlborough and results are up about 10 per cent on last year.

Pastoral Peacekeepers, Tasty Tomatoes, Rain drops have finally fallen on South Africa's Western Cape and the regional Wrap.

Tapawera dairy goat farmer Tracy Hay has given each of her hundred or so kids a name. The self-confessed 'goatie' has hand-raised Tinkerbell, Treasure, Tambourine and Truffle et al so that they are completely focused on her.

Every one of the estimated 100,000 tourists heading to Mount Aspiring National Park each year travel through Randall Aspinall farm. When tourists spot his stock in the river, he'll sometimes hear about it on the news.

Dung beetles are a natural and efficient way to to get nutrients down into the soil, keeps pastures clean and, in turn, help mitigate runoff into streams, says Dr Shaun Fogie of Dung Beetle Innovations.

It has been so wet in Gisborne that farm bikes can't be used in places and farmers are having to saddle up their horses. Marlborough started off wet and ended with frost and a fresh skiff of snow on the ranges.

Federated Farmers in Bay of Plenty has asked schools to exclude calves from their annual Ag days.

No Kidding Around. Tourist Traffic, Underground Army, No Calves Thanks and the Regional Wrap.

Geoff Laurent credits the agricultural event Fieldays with helping him grow his farming and veterinary equipment business into a multi-million dollar enterprise. He's been every year since it began.

KPMG released its ninth Agribusiness Agenda at Mystery Creek this week. In forming the report authors talk to leaders from every primary sector you can think of.

Sir William Gallagher won't miss a Fieldays – he's been at all 50 of them. And he's not alone. Country Life meets Sir William and some other exhibitors who come back to the agriculture event year after year.

Five contestants from the National Fieldays Rural Catch of the Year competition talk about conditions on the land and their love of farming.